CCP revealed that CSM delegate Larkonis Trassler (real name: Adam Ridgway) “bought items worth 2.5 billion ISK in order to stockpile those items before a game design change would be implemented. Further 2.5 billion was traded in these same items earlier that night based on the same information but through another character. […] Insider information was used as the basis of this trade and this is not according to the standards that we set for members of the Council of Stellar Management.”

Every 6-months Eve-Online gets a free expansion, this winter is no different…

Ten free expansions down. Now an eleventh. Set for Winter 2009, EVE Online: Dominion will focus on what is often cited as EVE’s “end game” – alliance warfare. It offers a complete overhaul of the current sovereignty mechanics in favor of a system that’s a brilliant mix of our game design vision and the input we’ve received from fans on forums, at conventions (FANFEST!) and via the CSM. Savvy alliances will benefit greatly from following and understanding these changes, which will receive extensive testing.

In addition, we’ll be adding some new epic arcs for pirate factions, offering the first iteration of the integrated social networking platform known as COSMOS, setting our artists free to rebeautify planets and more.

Needless to say, this has aroused skepticism in the EVE community, especially among alliance leaders. As one critic put it: “Imagine you’re playing chess on one table. On the other table beside you, a few kids are playing Ludo. Suddenly, the kid who won at Ludo comes over to your table and takes your queen.” It’s no secret that CCP has been mulling over some sort of 0.0 sovereignty revamp, since by and large sovereignty wars are an exercise in frustration and hair-pulling, but no one could guess that CCP would solve these problems through a FPS on a platform many EVE players do not own.